Body artist hides talent within photographs

Marissa Moore may not be a magician ... but she certainly knows how to make people disappear. Armed with the right colours, the body artist can camouflage just about anybody into their local environment.

If you look a little bit closer you might be surprised with what you see in this image. It was taken at the Bluewater Trail in Mackay and features a boy on a bike with body paint on which camouflages him into the scenery. Body artist Marissa Moore says she knows the boy through the circus classes they take together. "I used a three-wheel bike from the circus which can stand up by itself," she said of the shot. (Supplied: Marissa Moore)

Marissa Moore says she captured this photograph at Lamberts Beach in Mackay. She says it was tricky lining up her model to blend in with the different colours.
(ABC: Sophie Kesteven)

This photo was captured by Marissa at Cape Hillsborough National Park. "We painted the model against the volcanic rock and we couldn't go out to where the volcanic rock was until the tide went out, and then we had to make sure we finished all the painting before the tide came back in," Marissa said. (ABC: Sophie Kesteven)

Belinda Galea had her body painted by Marissa and features in this photo taken at Finch Hatton Gorge at her exhibition. (ABC: Sophie Kesteven)

This was taken at the Kommo Toera Trail. Marissa says people often go bird watching at this location, which is why she captured her model holding binoculars. (ABC: Sophie Kesteven)

Marissa's unusual artistic style has been captured within photographs currently on display in Mackay.

"A lot of people came in [to the exhibition and] they didn't know it was a body painting exhibition, and they were surprised saying 'oh there is a person in there'," Marissa laughed.

Which explains the meaning behind the name of her exhibition, Hidden Beauties.

The work almost took Marissa two years to complete, and she visited more than 100 different sites around central Queensland before settling with only a dozen locations.

Intertwining the models into various landscapes did not come without its challenges, and Marissa says she had to be very conscious of the weather considering a bit of rain could ruin up to six hours of work spent on painting a model's body.

She says one of her best works was done at the Kommo Toera Trail where people often go bird watching.

In this photograph the model is holding a pair of binoculars ... but after looking long and hard at the image for some time most visitors to the exhibition feel like they need a pair to try and find her.

"I found the best ways to camouflage someone is where there is lots of texture," Marissa said.

Art of getting painted

Belinda Galea features in Marissa's exhibition.

She says she was painted as a rock and was surprised with how well she blended into the landscape at Eungella.

"You had to sit in the same position for quite a while ... but Marissa did let me move around every now and then," Belinda laughed.

"I think that was the toughest bit, staying in the same position so she could get all the lines right.

"But it is just a beautiful thing for Mackay because the pictures show that we are proud of our city and what we have to offer."

Marissa's project was funded by the Regional Arts Development Fund as part of a Queensland Government and Mackay Regional Council partnership, and the exhibition is on show at Town Hall in Mackay from June 2-15.

If you want to see more of Marissa's photos you can visit this ABC Tropical North article, or if you want to learn more about the exhibition head to this Facebook page.